Bilokur Katerina
Katerina Bilokur was born in the village of Bogdanivka not far from Poltava. Famous folk artist loved to paint nature, especially flowers. Since 1940, her works became known in Ukraine.
As a child, was not involved in drawing, about the art she heard only in her adolescence from the books. The first
attempts to draw made with charcoal on a piece of household linen. Because of poverty was not able to enroll in any educational institution. Therefore, in the day she worked in the field and in the garden, and in the evening, having managed the household, drew until night. She was making a bristle brush on her own, paint from viburnum, beets, onions, elderberry, and various herbs. Sometimes managed to get oil paints. Painted mainly flowers, sometimes portraits.
In the 20 years Katerina Bilokur twice tried to enter Art College in ceramics in Myrhorod and the Kyiv Theatre College, but she had no documents about the end of seven-year school. From the early period of creativity kept a portraits of Olga's Sister (1928) and collective farmer Tetyana Bahmach (1932). Later draws mainly flowers, learn to compose, combine the colors into a single harmonious integrity.
In the second half of the 30-ies Katerina Bilokur masters technique of painting. Along with the painting leads drama groups in the village club, she performs on stage. The first significant works of this period - "Birch" (1934), "Flowers behind the fence" (1935), "Flowers", "Portrait of my nieces."
With the support of prominent Ukrainian singer Oksana Petrusenko, whom Belokur wrote a letter to, the workers of Poltava house of folk art became interested in her works. In 1940 the paintings of Bilokur were firstly exhibited in Poltava, and then at the Republican exhibition in Kiev. In 1941 a huge success held a solo exhibition of her works in Poltava. Most of her works of the war period was lost in Moscow.
After the liberation of the village from the Nazis, Bilokur creates ones of her best works - the "Lotta", "Decorative 
Flowers" (1945), "Hello Harvest" (1946) and the famous painting "King-ear"(1949).
In 1949, she was admitted to the Union of Artists of Ukraine, and in 1951 - was awarded the Order of Honour and was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. 50's were for Bilokur most fruitful period of creativity. The Union of Artists of Ukraine helped her, she participates in many exhibitions, Bogdanivka was visited by representatives of Ukrainian culture. Bilokur meets and corresponds with Pavlo Tychyna, Mykola Bazhan, Vasyl Kasiyan, Anton Sereda, Matvey Dontsov, Taranushenko Stepan, Stepan Kyrychenko. But after her father's death the economy and taking care of an elderly mother take away a lot of strength and health laid down on her shoulders.
In 1954 in Paris at an international exhibition are displayed her painting "King-ear", "Birch" and "Collective farm field”, which were appreciated by Pablo Picasso. When world-known maestro saw a picture of Bilokur, people said he had long stood by them, as if hypnotized, and then called her a genius, and added: "If we had this level of artist, we would have made the world talk about it." 
In 1956, Katerina Bilokur wad awarded as folk artist of Ukraine. She creates a wonderful painting "Peonies", "Bouquet of flowers," "Flowers and Vegetables" (1959), "Still Life" (1960).In the last years of her life she was seriously ill, affected disorder in his personal life, the hardships of rural life, the illness of the mother. Artist died June 9, 1961. And in 1977 in the village of Bogdanivka was opened Katerina Bilokur memorial museum on the territory of which the monument was erected.
Creativity of the artist from the village of Bogdanivka refers to the best achievements of the Ukrainian culture of the twentieth century, it became a subject of study and research of art historians. In Yagotin historical museum deployed two exposures with her pictorial and graphic heritage, and in the State Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Folk Art in Kiev there is a big "bilokurivsky" Hall, in which the best of her creations are preserved. Composer Lesya Dychko in 1983 created the ballet "Katerina Bilokur", the drama of the same name (1980), a documentary film "Magical World of Bilokur "(1986) and a two-part feature film "Lotta" (1989) were also created.
